Boat-propeller.



' No- 829,681. PATENTED AUG. 28, 1906.

F. G. TAM'BLING & H. CHARLES.

BOAT PROPELLER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1905.

UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. TAMBLING AND HARLAND CHARLES, OF EAGLE RIVER, WISCONSIN,ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES A. RUSCO,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOAT-PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1906.

Application filed August 17, 1905. Serial No. 274.548.

propulsion. It consists of the elements and devices of construction setout in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the stern portionofa boat, showing the mechanism constituting our invention in plan view.Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the lower stern portion of the hullof a boat having said invention, the hull being partly broken away toshowcertain parts of the mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 3 is an axialsection of one of the propelling devices and its bearing. Fig. 4 is asection at the line 4 4 on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail section at theline 5 5 on Fig. 1, showing devices for reversing movement on anenlarged scale.

Fig. 6 is a detail view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

:The propelling device, hereinafter sometimes called the propeller,which constitutes the leading feature of our invention, is

' a hollow cylinder A, mounted rigidly at the end of a thrust rod orshaft B. This cylinder is open from end to end, except as to theobstructin gates or valves hereinafter mentioned, an it is mounted so asto be thrust longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe'boat at the stern of the latter. Its longitudinal cavity or waterwayis obstructed by two gates or valves C C,which are hung pivotallyuponopposite sides of a cross-bar which constitutes a carrier for the gates,and the latter are adapted to be stopped at their closed positionthatis, extending transversely with respect to-the cylinder A,

byan annular stop-shoulder A, projectingfrom the inner surface of thecylinder iust "back-of the end. Such an annular shoulder is provided ateach end of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 3, and the carrier D, withthe gates CC hung upon it, is adapted to be moved from one end to theother of the cylinder, as hereinafter more particularly explained, andthe gates being adapted to swing about their pivots either way from theposition at which they obstruct the waterpassage through the cylinderwill be stopped at their obstructing position against the shoulder A atwhichever end of the cylinder the carrier D and gates may stand at agiven time, the gates being adapted'to swing inward from such obstructedposition shown,

in Fig. 3 to the position shown in dotted line in that figure.

For guiding the carrier D and its gates in the movement necessary forshifting from one end to the other of the cylinder, guideribs A A areformed on the cylinder engaged by a suitable tongue D on the carrier D.For moving the carrier D and its gates C the shaft or stem B of thecylinder A is made tubular, as seen in Fig. 3, and the carrier D has astem E, which extends within the stem B and may be thrust longitudinallytherein to move the crossbar and its gates from one end to the other ofthe cylinder, as explained. To check the gates when they are swunginward to open position and prevent them from swin ing in that directionso far as to stand paral el with each other, the stem E has at each sideof the carrier-bar D a cross-pin E, with which the gates or valves Ccollide before they reach such parallel position, as shown in dottedline in Fig. 3.

It may be understood from the foregoing description that a device suchas above described being mounted in a boat so as to be thrustlongitudinally back and forth in the water will operate to propel theboat in one direction or the other, according as the gates or valves Care set, so as to open in one direction or the other. When the carrier Disset as shown in Fig. 3, a rearward thrust of the device will propelthe boat forward, the return stroke of the propeller causing the gatesto open to dotted-line position, letting the water pass'freely throughthe cylinder A. When the carrier D and its gates are set at the otherend of its cylinder, the reciprocation of the whole device will propelthe boat in the opposite direction, because the gates inthat case willopen in the opposite direction and will be closed in the direction inwhich they were formerly open. Preferably two such propellers may beemployed, one at each side of the vertical mid-plane of the boat and atopposite sides of the rudder in position to leave the latter ample rangeof movement for steering.

The device may be reciprocated in any suitable manner. In the drawingsthere is shown a crank-shaft F, rotated by means of ,intermeshing gearsG and H, connecting it at the end corresponding to the direction inwhich the boat is desired to move. A means for this purpose is shown inthe drawings,

which may be understood from Figs. 1 and 5. The stem E, extending withinthis stem B, is secured at either. limit of its range of adjustment by aset-screw M, which is adapted to be slacked and tightened by not morethan a quarter-turn. This set-screw has a crosshead handle M. Mounted onthe bearings of the thrust rod or shaft B is a rock-shaft N, having twocross-arms N N, each' terminating at opposite ends in fingers N Nprojectmg toward the longitudinal vertical plane of the shaft B. At whatmaybe called the normal position of the rock-shaft N the fingers N areout of the paths of the opposite ends of the cross-bar handle M of theset-screw M; but if the shaft is rocked in one direction the upperfingers N will stand in the path of the upper end of the cross-handle Mand if rocked in the opposite direction the lower fingers N will standin the path of the lower end of said cross-handle. The position of thefingers N is such that when the shaft is thus rocked out of its normalposition the cross -handle M will collide with the finger just enoughbefore the end of the stroke of the stem B to cause the screw to receivea quarter-turn in the finishing of the stroke. The screw being set tohold the stem E at one of its proper positions-that is, with the gates CC at one end of the cylinder Aand it being desired to reverse themovement of the boat, the rockshaft N will be rocked in direction tothrow into the path of one end of the cross-handle M the finger N, whichwill, upon collision of the cross-handle therewith, cause the screw tobe turned in direction for slacking it at the end of the retracting oridle stroke of the propeller. The cross-barD and its gates C C beingthus rendered free to move longitudinally with respect to the stem E andthe next stroke in the opposite direction being that in which the gatesare swung to closedposition by the resistance of the water, saidresistance will force the bar D and the gates back with respect to thestem, carrying the gates to the opposite end of the cylinder. In thisreverse stroke the same end of the cross-handle M which collided withone of the fingers N' for relaxing said screw will collide with thecorresponding finger l 2 of the other cross-arm N, and the screw willthereby receive a quarter-turn in the opposite direction and will be settight, securing the stem E at the opposite limit of its range ofadjustment within the stem B, to which it will now have been forced bythe resistance of the water on the closed gates during the stroke inwhich the stem'E was loose in the stem B. The next stroke of thepropeller, it will be seen, will operate to give the boat reversemovement from that which it had before. Any convenient meansfor rockingthe shaft N to one position or the other will serve at any time toreverse the propelling action.

When two propellers are employed, as shown in Fig. 1, the tworock-shafts N may be connected by an operating-shaft P, having at itsopposite ends beveled gears P P, meshing with beveled gears N N on thecorresponding ends of the two shafts N, and a handle P on the shaft Pmay be arranged to swing through a suitable arc alongside the segment Q,at whose middle point the handle, being erect, may be hinged with anotch Q for holding the tripping devices, consisting of the shafts N andtheir arms and fingers, out of tripping position, the spring B being,preferably,,provided to restore the shaft tothis position from eitherlimit of its rocking movement, projections Q Q on the segment serving toarrestthe handle at the proper limits, and the segment being marked atits opposite ends back, and forward, corresponding to the operative-movement of the propellers which results from setting said handle atsaid limits, respectively, preventing any erroneous adjustment, and twopropellers are represented in the drawings having their correspondingreciprocating movements simultaneous-that is, both being thrust out atthe same time and retracting at the same time. For otherwise timing thenthe next change in the position of the respective operating-cranks willbe obvious, and such other changes in the tripping devices as might benecessitated by change in the timing of their strokes will be easilywithin the skill of any mechanic competent to construct the mechanismshown.

It will be observed that the gates are arranged wholly within thetubular casing of the propeller and also that they operate whollytherein, whether working at the forward or rear end of the casing.Thussaid gates are protected or guarded by the casing, and at no time dothey project therefrom so as to render them liable to injuryby strikingagainst shard objects in the water. Itwill also be noticed that thepropeller consists of a and'so tubular shell or casing which is openfrom end to end, the said casing being reciprocated bodily in the openwater, and that means are employed in connection with said shell orcasing actuated by the pressure of the water for closing that end of thecasing which is rearmost in the active stroke of the propeller duringsuch active stroke.

We claim 7 1. In combination with a boat-hull, a tubular propellercasingoutside the hull; means by which it is mounted and reciprocatedlongitudinally on the hull; a gate-carrier mounted for longitudinalmovement in the propeller-casing; a gate hinged thereto adapted to swingwholly within the casing from position at which it obstructs the passagetherethrough either way to unobstructing position, the propeller-casinghaving two longitudinally separated stops, and means for moving thegate-carrier to carry the gate at obstructing position to one or theother stop at will.

2. In combination with a boat-hull, a shaft mounted therein forlongitudinal reciprocation; a tubular propeller casing carried by theshaft outside the hull; a gate-carrier mounted for longitudinaladjustment within the propeller-casing having a stern sliding withrespect to the propeller-shaft; a releasable device for securing it;gates hinged to the gate-carrier within the propeller-casing adapted toswing to position for obstructing the passage through the casing;longitudinally-separated stops on the casing against which the gates maystop at such obstructing position, the gates being between said stops,and means for operating the securing device to release the same at theend of a stroke in which the gates are opened and secure it at the endof the following stroke in the opposite direction.

3. In combination with a boat-hull, a propeller-shaft adapted to bereciprocated longitudinally; a tubular propeller on the shaft outsidethe hull; a gate-carrier and the gates hinged thereto in the tubularpropeller; longitudinally-separated stops on the tubular propellerbetween which the gates are located, the propeller-shaft being tubular,the gatecarrier having a stem extending within said tubular shaftadapted to be moved longitudinally to bring the gates at closed positionagainst either stop releasable means for securing the stem to the shaft;a tripping device for operating said releasable means to release andsecure the same, comprising a shaft mounted in fixed bearings alongsidethe path of reciprocation of said securing means on the propeller-shaft,and trip-fingers on said shaft adapted to be moved into said path forencounter with said securing device.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands, in the presence oftwo witnesses, at Eagle River, Wisconsin, this 9th day of August, 1905.

FRANK C. TAMBLING. HARLAND CHARLES.

Witnesses:

N. A. OoLMAN, JOSEPH O. ELLIOTT.

